This disclosure is directed to systems and methods using digital signal processing techniques and statistical techniques to detect changes in Image Quality (IQ) and monitor changes in IQ for image forming devices.
IQ for images formed in an image forming device is dependent on a number of complex and varying factors. Maintaining high IQ is important to users of image forming devices. Users expect that every image formed will be almost perfect to the naked eye and that a series of images formed will all appear identical. Therefore, makers, sellers and providers of image forming devices have a strong interest in maintaining the IQ of image forming devices.
Makers, sellers and providers of image forming devices also have a desire to maintain the IQ of the image forming devices that they make, sell and provide at minimum cost. Therefore, they desire to reduce the number of servicing visits by a technician. They also wish to collect long-term data for evaluating image forming devices so that systematic problems can be identified to improve maintenance schedules, identify defective consumables and improve manufacture and design.
In view of the above, there is a need to be able to identify changes in IQ before they are visible to the user so that maintenance can be performed before the user detects any or unacceptable degradation IQ. There is also a need to identify immediately if a particular image forming device is not performing to the level required to produce images to an appropriate IQ as far as a user of the image forming device is concerned.
Conventionally, servicing on image forming devices is performed when the customer notices a degradation in IQ and calls the provider of the image forming device to schedule maintenance. This inevitably means that the image forming device will be either out of action, or performing poorly, until the maintenance is finished causing the user loss of time and satisfaction. Although the providers of image forming devices are very adept and organized at providing maintenance, providing efficient maintenance services is costly and requires numerous maintenance personnel that may be idle for much of the time.